India's Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal called on Indian and Uzbek enterprises to engage in joint investments, production, and innovation, setting the goal of doubling bilateral trade between the two countries within the next three years.
Welcoming the delegation, Goyal noted that India and Uzbekistan are connected not only by a rich shared history and deep cultural ties but also by significant, largely untapped business potential. According to him, bilateral trade turnover has exceeded $1.5 billion, but this is only a small fraction of what the two economies can achieve together.
The minister stressed that India offers Uzbekistan not only a large and growing market but also a reliable partner, skilled and young labor force, and a platform for innovation-driven growth. Referring to the recently signed bilateral investment treaty between India and Uzbekistan, he noted that the agreement will boost investor confidence and encourage companies from both countries to invest in each other's economies, forming long-term partnerships.
Goyal highlighted several sectors with high potential for bilateral cooperation. He pointed to substantial opportunities for Indian investments in Uzbekistan's mining sector. Furthermore, he noted prospects for interaction in the textile industry, emphasizing Uzbekistan's strong position in cotton farming and India's leadership in the textile sector, creating chances for joint development of apparel production, design, and entry into global markets.
In the pharmaceutical and medical fields, the minister stated that India, known as the 'pharmacy of the world,' can help modernize Uzbekistan's healthcare system through affordable medicines, medical equipment, diagnostics, telemedicine, medical staff training, and quality medical services. He also proposed resuming cooperation in traditional medicine systems—Ayurveda, Yoga, and Unani—which are historically linked to the Uzbek region.
Discussing agriculture and product processing, Goyal noted that cooperation in food processing, packaging, cold chains, and agricultural technologies can form global value chains beneficial to farmers in both countries, while focusing on international markets due to complementary strengths.
The minister also emphasized India's readiness to cooperate with Uzbekistan in information technology and the digital economy, expressing a desire to assist in developing digital public infrastructure and strengthening interaction in fintech, agritech, and medtech. He added that promising areas of cooperation also include component manufacturing, advanced engineering, auto parts, and automotive industry.
Goyal noted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev are giving new impetus to bilateral relations, bringing the peoples of the two countries closer and setting a clear political direction for the partnership. In his view, the full potential of the relationship can only be realized by deepening interaction between the businesses of both sides, expanding economic ties, increasing investment, and creating new jobs.
Stressing that trade should serve as the driving force of bilateral relations, Goyal strongly urged entrepreneurs to seize emerging opportunities to build long-term commercial partnerships. He pointed to the need to eliminate trade barriers, achieve mutual recognition of standards, approval, testing, and certification procedures, integrate customs systems through digitalization, and create more efficient trade routes to facilitate commerce.
According to him, the governments of the two countries are working to build a more structured, time-bound, and results-oriented economic partnership, and regulatory and standardizing bodies must interact more actively to support businesses on both sides. Concluding his speech, the minister reaffirmed India's commitment to deepening its economic partnership with Uzbekistan by strengthening trade, investment, and business ties.
During the working visit of the Director of the Pharmaceutical Industry Development Agency, Abdulla Azizov, to India, Uzbekistan and India discussed opportunities to deepen interaction in the field of pharmaceuticals.
The meeting took place with India's Minister of Trade and Industry, Piyush Goyal, as part of the Uzbek delegation led by the Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade, Laziz Kudratov.
The parties reviewed issues of further development of trade, economic, and investment cooperation, as well as increasing bilateral trade turnover, expanding industrial partnership, and supporting joint investment projects.
The negotiators paid special attention to interaction in the pharmaceutical field. They discussed prospects for joint production of medicines and medical devices, technology transfer, scientific research, implementation of innovative developments, and realization of high value-added projects.
At the end of the meeting, the parties reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and India, expanding business contacts, and continuing joint work on promising projects.
Alisher Shaykhov, Advisor to the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, met with the new Ambassador of Argentina to Uzbekistan, Enrique Ignacio Ferrer Vieira.
The parties discussed areas for developing trade and economic relations, as well as deepening investment interaction and expanding contacts between the business communities of both countries.
At the beginning of the meeting, Shaykhov congratulated the diplomat on his appointment and wished him success in efforts to strengthen ties between Uzbekistan and Argentina. The participants identified promising areas for joint work, including agriculture, food and textile industries, footwear production, pharmaceuticals, as well as electrical engineering and chemical industry.
Potential areas of cooperation also covered the jewelry industry, tourism, medicine, and education. Both sides stated their readiness to continue practical interaction in the specified sectors, activate business contacts, and facilitate the implementation of joint projects.
A meeting took place in Kabul between the Prime Minister of Afghanistan, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, and the Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Jamshid Khodjayev, who headed the Uzbek delegation. The governor of the Fergana region, Khayrullo Bozorov, also participated in the negotiations.
The parties discussed the further development of trade and economic interaction, as well as the implementation of previously reached agreements in the field of trade and investment. Jamshid Khodjayev emphasized that the goal of the large Uzbek delegation, which included representatives of state bodies, legislators, entrepreneurs, and investors, is to strengthen political and economic ties between the two countries.
According to him, Afghanistan holds a significant place in Uzbekistan's foreign policy. The delegation's visit was organized at the instruction of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev with the aim of beginning the practical implementation of agreements in the sectors of trade and investment and assessing the results of their execution.
Khodjayev reported that last year the volume of Afghanistan's exports to Uzbekistan reached 150 million US dollars. Since the beginning of the current year, this amount has been 111 million US dollars, and further growth is expected by the end of the year. Furthermore, the deputy prime minister noted that Uzbekistan issued 5000 visas to Afghan citizens, which he links to the development of friendly and economic relations.
Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund welcomed the Uzbek delegation, calling its visit an important step for further strengthening bilateral relations. He stated that the arrival of such a representative delegation and the development of economic cooperation demonstrate Uzbekistan's confidence in Afghanistan's future. The Prime Minister of Afghanistan also expressed interest in deepening ties with Uzbekistan and confirmed his readiness to fulfill the reached agreements.
